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Monday, May 23, 2011

Military Monday - Edward Creeden in Army, Marines, Canadian Forces, Part II

I posted some of my findings on Military Records for Edward Creeden and decided to take a closer look at the records to see if I could rule any of them out. The records were from the Army, Marines, and Canadian Expeditionary Forces, so it seemed unlikely that my Edward served in all three forces.

My Edward Creeden was born in April 1884 according to family and census records. Some family trees list his birth date as April 10, 1884, but I don't have verification of the 10th. He was born in Ohio and lived in Celina, OH in the 1900 census. His father was Irish and his mother was born in Ohio. It appears that when he first enlisted, he put his birth year at 1882, possibly so that he would be over 21 years old. He seems to have stuck with that birthdate throughout the US records.

Here are the possible records I have for Edward in chronological order. I was expecting to be able to rule some of these out, but instead the time line for them all seems to fit. That doesn't mean that they are all my Edward, but it makes it hard to rule them out!

1/27/1910 - An Edward Creeden enlists in Marines, appears in monthly Muster Rolls from Jan. 1910 to Oct 1911. He was in Puget Sound, Wash, transferred to San Diego, and then back to Puget Sound during this time period. He went from Private to Corporal to Sergeant in the muster rolls. One of the muster rolls mentions that his date of enlistment was corrected to be 1/26/1910.

1/19/1912 - US Army Enlistment at Vancouver Barracks, Wash, 29 yrs old, born in Celina, OH, 3rd enlistment, 1st Infantry, Company L, Last discharge was from 30 Infantry, Company L , 1/17/1910

1/16/1915 - Honorable discharge. Appears that he was last in 9th Inf, Company D. Previous listed as Company L, 1st Inf.

8/31/1917 - Edward Creeden, born on April 10, 1884 enlists in Canadian Expeditionary Forces. Description fits those given in US Army enlistments. Next of kin is listed as his brother, Charles Creeden. He lists birth place as Canada and says he has no prior military experience. The time line, birth date, description, and next of kin fits, but the birth place and lack of military service don't. He also lists Charles Creeden as being in the US Army in Company D of the 9th Infantry. My Charles Creeden did not serve, but this is where Edward last served in the US Army.

9/8/1925 - Edward Creeden's mother dies. I found 2 obituaries for her and one gives Edward's residence as Briggs, California, while the other says Kansas City. This is the last mention that I've found of my Edward.

I am fairly certain that the US Army enlistments are my Edward since he was the only one by that name in Celina, OH and the rest of the data fits. According to the NARA record, the Edward in the Marines was born on April 10, 1882 which is the same birthdate Edward used for the US Army. The Edward in the Marine barracks in the 1910 census is also born in 1882 in Ohio and has an Irish father, so that seems to be a possibility too. I am less certain of the Canadian record, but the coincidences in the data have me very curious to find out more.

I have started investigating how to order information from NARA, but I am not clear on how much information they will release to me. The initial response I received said the records should be archival, but some information could only be released to next of kin. They sent me Standard Form 180 to fill out, but in reading the instructions it looks like I need to fill out a National Archives Trust Fund form? It will probably take a few weeks (months?) to obtain any information from NARA, so I will post an update when I receive any new information.